When Zheng Xiu spoke those words.
CRACK!
Jing Xuemei had just brought in the tea, but Master Zheng's words so startled her that the small tray slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor.
The main hall instantly fell silent.
Qing Shisan forced an awkward but polite smile. "Master, you really don't know how to tell a joke."
'Oh, so it was just a joke!'
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Feng Bei looked up, her gaze complicated. "You agreed?"
Zheng Xiu shook his head, looking somewhat frustrated. "Not yet."
Listening to the exchange between "Madam" and "Master," Ji Hong'ou sensed there was more to it. Her almond-shaped eyes widened. "Wait, Master, you're not joking?"
Zheng Xiu sighed softly. "I'm not joking."
Qing Shisan's expression darkened, the smile vanishing from his face. He silently puffed on his dry pipe without a word. Smoke soon swirled around him, nearly obscuring his figure and making him seem indistinct and mysterious.
